


That's Jingletown

by ohyoudork



Category: American Idiot - Green Day/Armstrong
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Blatant overuse of foul language, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-01
Updated: 2015-01-01
Packaged: 2018-03-04 16:08:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3073979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohyoudork/pseuds/ohyoudork
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The four times Johnny said they needed to get the fuck out of Jingletown, and the one time it really happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That's Jingletown

“These are our bus tickets out of here!” Johnny shouted, thrusting crumpled pieces of paper into Will’s and Tunny’s faces with his signature grin.

Will pulled his from Johnny’s grasp and clapped his friend on the back as he stared down at the slip that was granting him freedom. He couldn’t believe it was really happening - they were finally leaving Jingletown, after wanting to escape since they were 6 years old.

They were moments away from going on the adventure they’d basically been planning since the first day they all met.

*

It had been nearly 10 minutes since Will had first noticed the singular figure crouched in the distance. And he’d been staring since, worried he might miss something important if he looked away.

“What do you think that kid is doing over there?” he finally asked, unable to keep his curiosity to himself any longer.

Surprised by the sudden question, Johnny looked over in the general direction where Will was pointing without really looking and shrugged his shoulders in response, his shaggy brown hair bunching around the collar of his corduroy jacket. While he was distracted, the tetherball he’d been mercilessly pummeling for almost the entirety of recess returned with a vengeance and slammed into the side of his head.

“Ow!” he exclaimed, punching the ball like it had done it on purpose and ducking out of its reach before it returned.

Will laughed and shook his head as Johnny started knocking the ball around the pole again. But Will dropped the stick he’d been using to absently draw symbols in the sand and looked back over at the new kid in their first-grade class. He was dressed strangely, in jeans that were so big they had to be rolled up about three times and the extra material was belted around his middle, making him look like he was chubby when he was actually thin as a rail. Despite the chilly fall day, he was wearing only what had once been a long-sleeve shirt, but now had the sleeves cut haphazardly so they hit him right below his elbows.

The kid - Will thought the teacher had called him “Tunny” but that didn’t sound like any name Will had ever heard - was kneeling at the far corner of the playground by the fence that kept all the kids in the schoolyard. He had his back to everyone and hadn’t moved from the spot since Will had noticed him.

“Come on, come see with me,” Will got up from where he had been perched at the edge of the sandbox where the tetherball pole was. He tugged at Johnny’s jacket, trying to pull him toward the new kid ... Tunny. Maybe the teacher had said “Timmy” instead? Or “Tommy”?

“I don’t want to,” Johnny stubbornly put his arms across his chest, trying to puff it up like he was a big shot. But Will had at least two inches on him and a house full of sisters who had taught him a few tricks. He let go of Johnny’s jacket and slid his hands inside, tickling at Johnny’s sides.

“Don’t do that!” Johnny almost yelled. “I hate that.”

“Yeah, I know,” Will grinned innocently. “Come on, let’s go see what he’s doing. Please Johnny?” Will went behind his friend and playfully pushed at Johnny’s shoulders to move him forward.

“Why would I ever talk about wanting a brother or sister when I already have you?”

Will laughed and gave Johnny’s shoulders a final push before they both sprinted back toward the new kid, dodging in between the swings and the very disorganized game of kickball that had the girls beating the pants off the boys. Will got there first, as he always did with his longer legs, and he skidded to a halt behind the new kid. Johnny arrived a few seconds later, running his fingers through his unruly hair to push it back as he stood at Will’s side.

“Whatcha up to, newbie?” Johnny asked quietly, exchanging a look with Will before both of them looked back down.

Tunny was digging.

There were small piles of dirt on either side of him and about a foot-deep hole in front of him where he was shoveling with an intensity that could rival the force with which Johnny had been hitting the tetherball. Will couldn’t see what he was digging with - it looked like maybe a spoon from the cafeteria.

“Leave me alone,” Tunny replied, not looking away from his digging.

Will stared at the back of Tunny’s head. His hair was cut crooked, the bottom where it was shaved close to his skull was more of a wavy line than straight across; the top of his black hair was thick and choppy, like it had been done at home. Will wondered if that’s where he was trying to dig to.

“If you keep doing that, people are going to think you’re weird,” Johnny said, tactful as always. “We think you’re pretty weird already.”

"Leave me alone," Tunny said again without turning around. His thin arms kept moving, pulling handful after handful of dirt out of the hole.

Will could see beads of sweat rolling down Tunny's neck; he'd probably been working on this for all of recess and, besides the sweat, he was covered from head to toe in dirt and grass stains. If Will came home like that, his mom would have a fit. He wondered if Tunny's mom would be the same.

"When you're a new kid, you're supposed to not be weird or else you won't make friends. Don't you want to have friends?" Johnny asked. Will rolled his eyes and nudged his friend in the side. Johnny raised his eyebrows and mouthed back “What?”

Tunny stopped digging for a second, his hands hesitating in mid-air. But then he started again with even more passion than before, leaning forward to thrust his entire body with each shovel.

Will decided to try a different tactic.

"Where are you digging to?"

That made Tunny stop again, and this time he turned around slowly, his small fist curled around the spoon. He looked up at Will and Johnny with startling blue eyes that stood out against his dark skin.

"I'm trying to get out of here," Tunny responded, wiping his hands on his pants in tiny, slow gestures. It almost looked like he wasn't moving at all; he was so cautious. Will hadn't seen a person move like that before. In stark contrast with the ferocity that Tunny had been putting into his digging, he was now almost curling into himself.

"And go where?" Will asked.

"Anywhere else." Tunny stood up, his legs unsteady from kneeling. He was shorter than both Will and Johnny, though it was hard to judge because he slumped his shoulders like he was trying to make himself as small as possible. "I don't like it here."

Will knew what that was like - he didn't like it there either. Neither did Johnny. That's why they were best friends. They had decided on the first day of school a week ago that they didn't like it, so they hated it together. Maybe Tunny was the same. Maybe Will could make his second friend.

"Trying to dig out of the playground probably won't work," Johnny said to break the silence Will hadn't realized he'd let lapse.

"I got that," Tunny said, an edge in his voice.

He didn't seem to respond well to Johnny's straight-forward attitude. He didn't really seem to like Will either, but at least he'd stopped digging when Will spoke.

Will looked over at Johnny and shook his head to try to tell him to back off. Johnny opened his mouth to respond, but Will elbowed him first.

"We know a way out," Will said instead, taking a step closer to Tunny like he was telling a secret.

It was a secret, actually. 

On the first day of school, Johnny and Will had found an old janitor's closet that wasn't in use anymore, and no one seemed to remember it was there. It was musky and dark, but it was a perfect place for the duo to hide when they needed to get away. They’d stacked it with comics and board games and a selection of colored flashlights that could fill the room with rainbows if they wanted.

So far, none of the teachers had been able to find where they disappeared to. They’d tried bribing the boys into telling, ordered them into the principal’s office, even called their parents - nothing could make them give up the secret.

And since they were generally pains in the ass during class anyway (and usually ahead of the other students, answering questions without raising their hands and reading beyond their supposed skill level), the teachers decided to let it be unless they started abusing the freedom or causing trouble. Will and Johnny were smart enough to know the limits and planned their excursions accordingly. Bless public schools.

Will wasn't sure if Tunny could be trusted. He didn't want to give away a good hide-out to a weirdo who was going to talk about digging holes for two hours. But he didn't get that feeling from Tunny. He was quiet and angry and a little bit scared, but Will liked him. He wanted Tunny to be a friend.

"Where?" Tunny asked, his eyes opened wide. There was almost a smile on his face - though not quite.

"Yeah, Will, where?" Johnny said loudly, putting his hands on his hips. Will knew Johnny would want to keep it to themselves, but Johnny was also a little bit of a jerk. Not a big jerk - because Will wasn't friends with jerks - but a little bit.

It didn’t seem right to keep their secret lair from Tunny, who so clearly needed it. He’d been trying to literally dig out of the school, like he was in that “Shawshank Redemption” movie he wasn’t supposed to watch. And Will admired that.

He stepped closer, putting an arm around Tunny’s bony shoulder, leading him back toward the school building. He could feel Tunny resisting, like school was poisonous - which he also understood. They walked against the far fence, avoiding the kickball game and a group of girls chasing some boys around.

“It’s a secret that Johnny and I have,” Will said finally, trying to calm Tunny’s nerves, which Will could sense by how vigorous his shoulder was shaking. His touch was purposely gentle, but he could feel every tense muscle in Tunny’s arm. “By the way, he’s Johnny and I’m Will. You’re Tunny, right?”

Will kind of hoped he had the name right and wrong at the same time.

Tunny simply nodded, running his hand along the fence, his thin fingers catching on the links like he was trying to slow them down. Will exchanged a look with Johnny, trying to communicate his concern and his desire to befriend this obviously lonely kid. Johnny rolled his eyes and sped up his walk, pulling ahead to lead them. That was his way.

“See, Johnny and me, we get bored here a lot. And so we figured we had to have a secret hangout place, where we could get away from dumb kids and even dumber teachers,” Will jumped over a series of rocks in their path while Tunny stepped on each one.

“Are we going back into school?” Tunny asked, drawing his hand down to clutch at Will’s.

Normally, Will would pull away, unwilling to let anyone except his big sisters take his hand (and even then, he didn’t like it much). But he sensed Tunny needed it, so he let the other boy hold tight, his surprisingly strong fingers digging into Will’s palm. It was uncomfortable and Johnny practically glared at him as he looked back, but Will let Tunny do it anyway.

“Yeah, the hide-out is in school, but it’s not like school. It’s way better, I promise,” Will replied, trying to pull Tunny along.

But Tunny abruptly stopped in place and let go of Will’s hand. Will halted as well and looked at the boy he had already began to think of as his friend. “Why should I go with you?” Tunny asked quietly.

He folded his grass-stained arms across his chest, smearing dirt on his skin, and his eyes frantically darted between Will and Johnny and the rest of the playground, like he was looking for an escape.

A minute ago, Will had been imagining all of the things that would be better with two friends - teaming up against each other, taking turns for three-way tournaments on Johnny’s Nintendo, a new house to explore and a new backyard to have adventures in.

But without warning, Tunny was acting like Will was his enemy. Like he was going to lead Tunny into a trap or trick him somehow. Johnny and Will had instantly trusted each other on the first day they met, Will following Johnny’s lead like they’d been friends since birth. Tunny was different - Will could see that - but he didn’t know the right thing to say. Apparently he’d said something very wrong already.

“You don’t have to be scared. You can trust us. We’re good,” Will barely whispered, hunching over to try and catch Tunny’s gaze, which was now fixed on the ground.

But Tunny remained silent, and Will didn’t know what else to do. He looked helplessly over at Johnny, pleading with him to do something, to fix it. Johnny sighed dramatically and shook his head, already moving his body away from them. Will knew Johnny didn’t want another person in on the secret, but he also knew Johnny couldn’t abandon this kid. It wasn’t possible - not with Johnny’s big heart that he tried so hard to hide. So Will motioned again with his hands, begging Johnny to say the right thing.

“If you don’t want to be here and you don’t want to be with us, you can probably go to the nurse and tell her you don’t feel good. The nurse is cool. She’ll call your mom and you can go home,” Johnny said finally.

It wasn’t exactly what Will had in mind.

“I don’t want to go home. My mom isn’t there,” Tunny replied after a moment, still looking at the ground and kicking the dirt with his sneakers.

“Where is she?” Will couldn’t help but ask, curiosity getting the best of him as it too often did.

“She’s gone,” Tunny said, hunching his shoulders further and tucking his neck into his body sort of like a turtle hiding in its shell. “She promised she’d always be with me, but she lied. One day I woke up and she just wasn’t there. So we moved away. My dad said we don’t need her, and my brother said he doesn’t care. But I do. She broke her promise and she left me.”

Tunny retreated back, holding his arms behind him until he reached the fence, and intertwined his fingers in the links. He was trying to hide the fact that he was about to cry, and Will let him keep his distance. It was the promise that had gotten to Tunny, not that Will would have ever known that. But now that he did, he had a better handle of what he was dealing with: a lonely kid who was in constant fear of everyone leaving him.

And Johnny understood, too.

“My dad’s not home either. And he never will be,” he said, coming in close to stand at Will’s side. “I don’t really remember him. But he was in the Army, and he was a hero. That’s what my mom says.”

Will felt bad that he still had both of his parents, and he couldn’t relate to Johnny or Tunny in that. Yet, somehow he knew he didn’t have to have had experienced their loss in order to make them feel better.

“Come on, let’s go. Do you like comic books? We’ve got a bunch,” Will said, reaching his hand out to Tunny, his gaze hopeful.

“Yeah, I do,” Tunny said after a moment, smiling for the first time, his grin lop-sided but still cautious. It made Will smile, too. 

And then Johnny reached out and threw his arms around both their shoulders, squeezing himself in the middle. “Let’s get the fuck out of here!”

Will jolted his shoulder to hit Johnny’s arm and seethed between his teeth, “You know you’re not supposed to say bad words! You’ve already gotten two warnings this week. If the teacher hears, you’ll get in trouble for sure.”

“And the teacher did hear.”

Without warning, their teacher Mrs. Holden approached from behind them, laying her hands on Will’s and Johnny’s shoulders. They both hung their heads, instantly knowing their excursion to the hide-out was cancelled. Will glanced sideways at Tunny, shaking his head slowly.

“Let’s go, John. You know the rules: If you curse, you have to sit out the rest of recess.”

Mrs. Holden led Johnny toward the bench where the teachers monitoring recess were sitting. He looked back at Will and Tunny, playfully curling his hand into a fist with a smirk as if daring them to go ahead with the plan. But Will knew they wouldn’t go without him.

Will laughed and then rolled his eyes, turning his gaze over to Tunny, who was standing stock still as if he was waiting for something bad to happen to him.

“It’s OK,” Will said, “this happens at least once a week. Usually to Johnny because he can’t keep his mouth shut. But it’s cool, we’ll show you tomorrow. Promise.”

Will realized his mistake right after the words left his mouth.

“A real promise. Tomorrow, for real,” Will grabbed at Tunny’s hand and held tight once he took hold. He somehow knew, if anything, Tunny would respond to the physical contact. And as if Will could predict the future, Tunny’s frown quirked upward as his fingers wrapped around Will’s.

With Will slightly leading, they walked back toward the tetherball pit where Will had been drawing in the sand. His sketches were still there - random symbols he made up that didn’t mean anything, stick figures playing fetch with stick dogs, and a half-finished game of tic-tac-toe he had been playing against himself. They sat down on the wood plank surrounding the area, and Will broke his stick in two, handing one off to Tunny.

Will was bummed that he and Johnny wouldn’t get to show Tunny their hide-out that day. But by Tunny’s grin as he immediately slashed an X in the top right corner of the tic-tac-toe game and elbowed Will to take a turn next, Will had a feeling he’d just made his second friend and there’d be plenty of time to go on adventures.

*

It was nearly 8 o'clock on a Friday night, and Will and Johnny were home alone in the living room at Johnny's, waiting for Tunny to arrive. Friday had been the trio’s sleepover night since they were 7 when their parents had figured out that it was better for them to be mischievous together under one roof. 

(One especially memorable night when they were apart resulted in the police, fire, and emergency departments being called to three different locations at roughly the same time. Johnny was wrongly accused of shoplifting cleaning supplies from the dollar store - police. Will accidentally scared his neighbor’s cat up a tree - fire. And Tunny fell and broke his arm while trying to do a flip on his skateboard - emergency.)

The get-togethers were usually at Will's because he had the most comfortable house, with a decent-sized bedroom and cushy carpet that hadn't been matted down despite the wear. Plus it didn’t hurt that there were more people in the home - Will’s dad, mom, and three older sisters - which meant more eyes to monitor them. Sometimes it was at Johnny's, but his mom worked a lot and didn't like people over when she wasn't there. She made exceptions though, like tonight.

Will’s parents were on a weekend trip with his sisters, so Will was staying with Johnny for three nights until they went back to school Monday. He was monumentally excited about it, especially since Tunny had said his dad was letting him stay, too. An entire weekend with his two best friends. Johnny’s mom hadn’t been too thrilled about the idea of watching three rambunctious 10-year-olds, but they had promised to be on their best behavior, determined to not mess up and make it so they couldn’t have a long sleepover again.

Johnny was sitting Indian-style on the floor, fully enthralled in his Nintendo like he’d been for close to an hour. Will was curled up on the armchair, an open comic book in front of him, but he’d been on the same page for nearly as long as Johnny had been playing. Will was paying more attention to the time flashing from the VCR under the TV.

After hesitating for a moment, trying to figure out if he was being a ridiculous worrywart and ultimately deciding he didn’t care if he was, he reached his leg out and gently prodded Johnny with his foot.

"You almost killed me!" Johnny said, pressing the pause button before his Mario really tettered off a ledge and lost his life. Johnny turned around to face him, scowling.

"Where's Tunny? He's late," Will said quietly, his eyebrows pinched together. 

He had a bad feeling about it; Tunny was punctual, almost to the point of being obnoxious about it, especially for a kid. He’d get anxious and bossy if people weren’t ready to leave on time or if a movie was starting past its scheduled time or even if his dad was late picking him up. Will couldn’t remember Tunny being late to anything since they’d known each other.

"Don't be a nitwit, he's fine. He'll be here soon," Johnny grumbled.

Will didn’t think so.

"But he's always here by now. He usually beats you here," Will rubbed his knuckles back and forth against each other, one of the nervous ticks that his mother hadn’t been able to rid him of yet.

He wanted to suggest they go look for Tunny, starting with his house. Even though in the more than three years they'd all been friends, they hadn't once been inside Tunny's home. Will and Johnny had only ever seen it from the street, the lawn that was always in need of mowing and the dark windows painted shut. But Will could find his way there in the pitch black if he had to.

Johnny weighed the controller in his hand. "Do you want to call him?"

"His dad doesn't like when we call," Will replied, staring ahead at the paused game, not meeting Johnny's eyes. He couldn’t help but imagine all sorts of dire scenarios that could have occurred - anything from Tunny just having a flat tire on his bike to him getting hit by a car and laying in the road dying somewhere.

"I'm going to call him," Johnny stood up and Will followed without saying a word, thankful as always for Johnny’s decisiveness.

But before they could reach the phone in the kitchen, there was a soft knock at the door. Johnny looked over at Will with an I-told-you-so expression before they both dashed to the front of the house. Will beat him there - Will was still beating him in races, even though Johnny was “perfectly average height” according to his mother.

“See, I told you everything was --”

Johnny was clearly about to start teasing Will for his excessive worrying and Will already had four comebacks ready for him, but after they swung the door open and saw Tunny standing on the porch, all their words evaporated.

Tunny had his trademark red sweatshirt pulled tight around him, the hood with its strings chewed to nubs drawn close to his face, but they could see it anyway - a dark blue/purple hue across the side of his face that hadn’t been there earlier in the day at school.

The boys had been in their share of fights, Tunny more than Johnny or Will since his temper sometimes flashed with barely any provocation, but they were always together or at least within shouting distance of each other. They didn’t get into scrapes by themselves. The only explanation was that Tunny had been jumped on his way to Johnny’s, and Will was gutted.

“Hey, hey, Tunny. Get in here,” Will reached out to pull Tunny into the safety of Johnny’s house, but Tunny shoved his hands into his hoodie pockets, scrunching his shoulders inward and wincing, like he was hurt more than just the black eye. He backed up slowly; the light of the porch barely reached him now, but Will could see tears threatening to fall.

“Come on, Tun, come inside. Tell us what happened,” Johnny took a step outside in his bare feet, rubbing at his arms in the autumn chill.

“I can’t,” Tunny said quietly, hanging his head.

“Sure you can,” Will replied, “You can’t stay out here. What if they come back?”

Tunny looked up, confused. “Who’s they?”

“The jackasses who did that to you,” Johnny said, nodding at Tunny’s face with an almost growl. Will looked over and saw Johnny clenching his fists at his side, shaking - Will felt the same. Whoever had hurt their best friend was in for a world of pain.

“You don’t understand --” Tunny started, but Will interrupted.

“Please, just come inside. It’s too cold to be out here and you know Mrs. Pratt is snooping out her window right now.” Mentioning Johnny’s nosy neighbor who had the worst habit of ratting them out to Johnny’s mom whenever she could seemed to do the trick. Tunny looked around quickly, as if to make sure nobody was following him, and then sprinted into the house.

Johnny and Will followed, closing the door softly behind them and looking at each other for a moment before setting their focus back on Tunny, who was now standing in the middle of the living room. Like he didn’t know what to do. He had the sleeves of his hoodie pulled over his hands, his arms stiff at his sides, and he was staring at the ceiling.

“Sit down, man, you’re making me nervous,” Will said as he walked into the living room. 

Normally he’d just push Tunny down onto the sofa, but he couldn’t do that now - not when he didn’t know the extent of Tunny’s injuries. Instead he gestured to the sofa with a wide sweep of his arm. When Tunny didn’t move, Johnny crept forward and put his hands on Tunny’s shoulders delicately as Will watched.

“Tunny, come on,” Johnny squeezed Tunny’s arms and stepped forward, causing Tunny to step back - and they repeated the action like a little dance until they reached the couch, and Tunny almost collapsed onto it, Johnny falling on his right. Will practically ran to sit on the left, Tunny in between them.

They sat in silence. Will didn’t know how much time passed, but he knew Tunny wouldn’t talk until he was ready. 

About a year ago, they’d waited three hours for Tunny to speak after finding him wandering around Will’s driveway with only one shoe on. They’d sat on the pavement, watching Tunny walk in tight circles, making sure he didn’t hurt himself, until he finally doubled over and let out a heart-wrenching cry that still haunted Will. (Once Tunny started talking, they found out his brother had left for college that morning, leaving Tunny alone with his dad, leaving him like his mom had - it had really messed with him. It had really messed with all of them.)

So he and Johnny just sat there, enveloped in the lumps of the sofa, watching Tunny out of the corners of their eyes. Watching him breathe unevenly, the rise and fall of his chest rapid and then halted, his eyes unblinking, the bruise on his face darkening. Will knew Johnny couldn’t take much more waiting - his leg was bouncing up and down and sending vibrations throughout the cushions - and Will didn’t know how much longer he could stay quiet either.

Thankfully Tunny leaned forward and closed his eyes, biting at his bottom lip like he was trying to keep the words inside. But it was always a sign that he was getting ready to spill.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” he said roughly.

Will didn’t mean to exhale as loudly as he did; it was just such a relief to hear his friend’s voice.

“What happened? Are you OK? Who do we need to hurt?” Johnny spoke before Will had even finished his breath.

Tunny grimaced, the corners of his mouth turning downward. “You don’t have to hurt anyone. It’s not what you think.”

Will was getting that bad feeling again.

“What do we think? Huh, Will? It looks like you got the shit beaten out of you, and we know that could only have happened if some punk assholes jumped you. Now we want to know how and who, and then we’re going to do something about it.”

Johnny had a handful of the fabric of his sweatpants, gripping it so tight that his knuckles were white.

“Nobody jumped me, you don’t have to do anything,” Tunny slid backward and craned his neck on the top of the couch to stare at the ceiling again. “Can we just not talk about it?”

Will might have let it slide, let Tunny catch his breath and come to terms with whatever had happened, and bothered him for details the next day. But Johnny wouldn’t.

“Hell no, we can’t just pretend you didn’t show up on my doorstep with a black eye and no explanation. That’s not how it works,” Johnny swung his leg up and rotated his body to face Tunny and Will. Then he lowered his voice, “You don’t have to be embarrassed. It’s not like we think you’re weak or anything. It wasn’t a fair fight - it couldn’t have been.”

Tunny pulled his knees up off the floor and brought them onto the sofa, clutching them to his chest and curling his arms around them. When he buried his head in the crook between his knees and his stomach, he all but disappeared - and Will knew that’s what he was trying to do. Trying to pretend like things weren’t the way they were. 

That’s how Tunny dealt with things. Johnny looked at it straight on - he messed up a lot and talked before he thought, but he faced it. And Will tended to let things happen to him instead of taking on the world or evading it.

But Tunny hid.

“It wasn’t a fair fight,” he mumbled into his legs. Will had to strain to hear him. “I didn’t do anything wrong. I didn’t deserve it.”

That bad feeling intensified, like Will’s stomach was sloshing around in his body untethered.

“I don’t know what happened. I was just reading, I was just reading. And then he hit me. He hit me and I fell, and he hit me more. And I didn’t do anything. It’s not fair.” Tunny’s voice cracked on the words, and Will felt like he was drowning.

Tunny’s dad. Tunny’s dad had hit him.

His dad with the glare that could stop traffic and oppressive rules that Will could never understand had put those bruises on Tunny’s face and who knows where else.

It was as if Will’s chest had closed in on itself, pressure building and piling, crushing him from the inside. He stared at the back of Tunny’s head, the worn fabric of his hoodie faded, a small tear at the neck where it had gotten caught under a chain link fence that time they’d snuck into the lot behind the 7-Eleven. He stared at his friend balled up on the couch, in such pain that Will couldn’t do anything about, and he got so angry it was like his nerves were on fire, burning him.

Tunny was silent again, his shoulders shaking in tiny movements. Neither Johnny nor Will had said a word, but as Will looked over at him, he knew they were thinking the same thing - feeling the same anger and outrage and shock. And Johnny said exactly what they needed.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he said evenly, not betraying just how furious he was. Will was thankful because he felt like he was on the verge of crying himself, and that wouldn’t help Tunny.

“Yeah, let’s go. We don’t need this stupid town or anyone here,” Will agreed, sliding his arm around Tunny’s shoulder gently, careful to not apply too much pressure.

Tunny’s body stopped shaking, and Will could feel him stop breathing as well, his body suddenly rigid. The silence, the tension, made Will’s toes curl. And for a second, he thought they were going to really do it - really going to leave.

Then Tunny lifted his head, his hood sliding down to reveal a cut on his neck and a faint bruise on his ear. He stood up slowly, Will’s arm falling back to his side with a thump. Will exchanged a confused look with Johnny before they both watched Tunny take a few steps forward and then sit Indian-style on the floor, swiping the Nintendo controller that Johnny had left there. He pressed the pause button to unfreeze Johnny’s game and played through a few seconds of it before pausing again.

Without turning around, his voice quiet but determined, Tunny said, “He doesn’t get to win. I’m not running away from him or from anyone.”

Sighing, Johnny sank down from the sofa onto the floor and then scooted closer until he was next to Tunny, their knees almost touching. Will felt like they needed to say more, to do something, to tell someone. Was this the first time it had happened? Had it happened to Tunny’s mom? Was that why she left? Would it happen again? But he also knew Tunny was done talking for the night.

So he got to his feet, put his hand gently on Johnny’s and then Tunny’s heads, and then fell back into the armchair and picked up his comic book again.

*

Will, Johnny, and Tunny sat outside St. Stephen’s Church, the three of them squeezed onto the solitary bench in the enclosed backyard where Pastor Lambert went to reflect - or smoke the occasional joint. It was a fairly mild morning for May, the sun hiding behind a thin layer of clouds, a slight breeze shaking the trees. But in their Sunday best even though it was Saturday, their ill-fitting suits and crooked ties, they were all uncomfortable.

Tunny’s was the worst because he was wearing one of Will’s old suits, which didn’t fit him at all - the legs were rolled up three times and still too long - but it was better than Tunny’s only suit that was a hand-me-down from his brother with tears all through the jacket. Johnny was fiddling with the flower pinned to his shirt, his too-tight dress shoes kicked off and getting damp in the dew-covered grass. 

And Will kept hearing his father’s voice in his head, telling him he had to make Johnny behave and not ruin this day.

Even though it had been weeks coming, years even, Will knew Johnny wasn’t prepared. He and Tunny had been trying to keep Johnny’s spirits up all weekend, taking him to their favorite diner (the one with the kickass peanut butter milkshakes), letting him win at laser tag (which was not an easy task because he had terrible hand-eye coordination) and paying a senior who could pass for 21 to get them beer (Johnny had one and threw up and then didn’t come out of the bathroom for two hours).

But now the day was here, and Will didn’t think there was anything left to do except to just make Johnny accept it.

He was getting a new dad. _Brad._

Brad was a decent enough guy, Will thought. Better than most of the adults in Jingletown, that’s for sure. He’d been dating Johnny’s mom for close to two years, and it had been good for her. She smiled more and was able to work less with Brad helping to pay for the house and other essentials. He took her dancing and out to fancy restaurants, and they even went skiing in Colorado one weekend. 

Yeah, Brad wore way too much aftershave that smelled like Will’s grandpa, and he had this really nasty habit of nitpicking everything Johnny did - “Why did you get a B+ on your project? Why not an A?” “Your mother asked you to take the garbage out 10 minutes ago. Are your legs broken?” “When are you going to get your hair cut? You look like a hippie.” But Will didn’t hate the guy.

Johnny, however, did. He had hated Brad from the very first time he’d shown up to take Johnny’s mom out and smiled too slick and ruffled Johnny’s hair. And it had only gotten worse since then. Johnny had tried so many tricks and some downright evil pranks to get Brad to leave - including using super glue in his shoes and telling him that Johnny’s dad hadn’t died overseas but was alive and coming back for his wife - but nothing had worked.

And now, it was time for Johnny to face the music because it was here: the wedding day.

“What if I ran into a door and said he punched me?”

Even with less than five minutes until the ceremony was supposed to start, Johnny was still thinking of ways to get out of it.

“I’m pretty sure your mom knows better,” Tunny replied with the faintest trace of an edge to his voice, scratching at the collar of his dress shirt, noosed with a tie that Will’s mom had fastened more than an hour ago.

“Yeah,” Johnny put his head back against the brick wall of the church and stared up at the sky.

Will knew he had to get Johnny inside the church. The wedding couldn’t start without the best man; Will thought it was pretty cool of Brad to name Johnny as his best man, even if it was only because Johnny’s mom had asked. Will just didn’t know how to go about making Johnny go inside. He’d never been particularly good at convincing people to do things - that was Johnny’s specialty.

He had let himself hope that Johnny would come around since it was the day-of. That maybe Johnny would see that there wasn’t anything else he could try - no jokes, no lies - that would change his mom’s mind. And just maybe, Johnny could even be happy for his mom finding a little bit of happiness. But Johnny remained stubborn, which really wasn’t a surprise at all.

“What if I tore up the official license? No piece of paper, no real marriage, right?”

Will rolled his eyes and looked beyond Johnny to lock eyes with Tunny. He nodded his head aggressively toward Johnny, as if telling Will to do something about it. Like Will knew what to do. He wished he did. Instead, he shook his head helplessly and looked down, dragging his feet in the dirt-that-was-almost-mud below the bench.

“Why don’t you try being happy for your mom instead of being a little bitch?”

Tunny’s words - characteristically angry but uncharacteristically cruel - cut into the silence like a machete. Will squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for Johnny’s outburst in response.

But it was quiet. Cautiously, Will opened his eyes and looked over at his friend.

Johnny was crying. 

Still staring up at the sky, silent, slow tears fell down his cheeks, trickling along his neck and disappearing into the dark of his jacket. Will could count on one hand the times he’d seen Johnny cry. And it had never been this eerie, soundless crying.

It had been scared and pained when he fell down the stairs and broke his wrist. It had been noisy and messy the first time they watched “The Lord of the Rings” and Boromir died. It had been angry and bitter a year ago when they were 13 and had found a box of Johnny’s dad’s old stuff tucked in an attic corner.

When Johnny had broken his wrist, the bone sticking out of his skin, Tunny had dialed 911 and Will had rambled a ridiculous story about GI Joe teaming up with the Power Rangers to distract from the pain while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. When Johnny couldn’t stop crying during “The Lord of the Rings,” Will had paused the movie and Tunny had brought the box of tissues from the bathroom and let him sob it out with their arms around him. When Johnny discovered the box of his dad’s things, including a photo of him holding Johnny as a baby, Tunny had reached deeper into the box, pulling out photos and mementos and laying them side by side on the dusty attic floor - while Will had quietly stood up and pulled the ladder closed to give them privacy.

He and Tunny had always known their roles intrinsically, but in this case, Will had no idea what to do. And judging by Tunny’s gaping mouth, he was equally clueless.

“My dad was a fucking hero, you know. No one but a hero deserves my mom,” Johnny sniffed loudly, wiping his nose with his sleeve. Will had to bite his tongue to keep from saying something about messing up his formal wear.

The fact of it was that they didn’t know if Johnny’s dad was really a hero. Will supposed everyone who died in war or from injuries sustained during battle were heroes, no matter what. But they didn’t know anything for sure. They only knew what Johnny’s mom had told them, which was basically nothing. They knew Johnny’s dad was in the Army; he’d joined up as a way to get training and education and ultimately to provide a future for his family. Johnny’s mom was only two months pregnant when his dad was shipped to Saudi Arabia. He’d come home for leave only once, when Johnny was about three months old - when the photo had been taken. And then he went back to the Middle East and, five days later, died there.

If Johnny’s mom was feeling nostalgic, she’d embellish the story, saying his dad had saved his entire platoon that day by drawing away enemy fire or volunteering for a dangerous mission across the line. Johnny would recount those stories afterward for Will and Tunny, adding even more heroics - he saved not only his entire platoon but also a village of Iraqi civilians and two puppies. Johnny’s mom would talk about the novel-length letters his dad would write from overseas, so heavy they needed multiple stamps. When the trio had found the stacks of correspondence in the box in the attic, Johnny had held them to his chest and smelled them, as if he could catch a whiff of his father from them.

For as long as Will could remember, Johnny had worshiped the notion of the father he’d never met and now, with his mother trying to finally move on, that impossible ideal was being tarnished.

“You know just because your mom is marrying someone new doesn’t mean he’s replacing your dad, right?” Tunny spoke gently, any trace of his usual sharpness gone. His hand had crept up onto the bench and wrapped around Johnny’s neck fondly. “Brad doesn’t have to be your dad. But he is going to be your mom’s husband, and dude, I really don’t think there’s anything you can do about that at this point.”

Johnny closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, and Will could feel his friend’s entire body go rigid.

“I know,” Johnny said, his voice tight, trying to quell his tears. “But fuck, I don’t like it.”

The church bells rang - the second time since the boys had been in the backyard. Will knew he had to get Johnny inside, even if it meant physically dragging him. Standing up slowly, Will took a few steps forward and squatted down to pick up Johnny’s dress shoes from the grass. He turned back around, shaking the condensation away from the shoes, and then laid them at Johnny’s feet.

“Come on Johnny, we’ve got to go. It’s time to man up,” Will jerked his head in Tunny’s direction, who got to his feet quickly, trying to encourage Johnny to follow.

Johnny didn’t move - he was still crying quietly and staring at the sky - and Will was really afraid he and Tunny would have to take him by the arms and pull him into the church, and somehow he didn’t think Johnny’s mom would like that memory of her wedding day.

Just when he was about to take matters into his own hands, Will breathed a sigh of relief as Johnny leaned forward to slip his feet back into his shoes. After tying his laces, he stood up and wiped at his face, smiling sheepishly. Will reached out and straightened Johnny’s tie for him, while Tunny tried to pat down Johnny’s hair and make it look at least somewhat respectable.

“See? You’re all good now. You can do this,” Tunny said, stepping back to line up with Will, both of them making sure Johnny was put together. Will couldn’t help feeling just a little bit proud of himself for getting his friend to accept his fate.

“Or I might have a better idea,” Johnny said quietly, and Will felt his stomach drop. “Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Tunny groaned so loud that the wedding guests inside probably heard him.

“Johnny, you can’t run away from this,” Tunny said, folding his hands behind his neck in exasperation.

Will knew this was his last chance to convince Johnny of his own accord. Part of him didn’t want to. Part of him wanted to agree, and just take off running with his two best friends and never look back. They could start up somewhere new, get jobs, find a little house and live together, fuck around and cause trouble. It was a dream Will had had since they were in first grade. But the other part of him, the tiny logical side, knew that wasn’t the answer. Not right now. Johnny would regret not being at his mother’s wedding - Will knew that for certain.

“Dude, you know we’d follow you if you really want to go. But you should stay. Watch your mom marry the guy she loves. Give that speech we worked so hard on and embarrass the shit out of Brad. Get drunk while no one is looking. We’ll be there with you, just like always.”

The mischievous grin on Johnny’s face faded as Will spoke - he suddenly looked years older - and he nodded slowly in acceptance when Will was done. With that, Will knew they weren’t going anywhere except inside the church. Finally.

Will looped his arms around Johnny’s and Tunny’s shoulders before Johnny could change his mind again. With a gentle push, he guided them through the old curved archway, past Pastor Lambert’s office, and back into the main chapel, the wedding march already echoing throughout the hall.

*

Will couldn’t believe it. He refused to believe it. He was in such a state of denial that, despite breathing heavily at that moment, he could have rejected the existence of oxygen.

“What do you mean?” he asked, even though he’d already asked the same question four times now.

“What do you think I mean, Will? I mean we’re done!”

Heather looked beautiful, her pale skin flushed red with anger, every inch of her body language screaming “Stay the fuck away from me,” from her arms folded across her chest to her hip jutted out, barely a peak of her stomach visible under her ripped T-shirt. Will wanted to grab a hold of her and make out for 12 hours straight.

“Did you hear me? Hello? Earth to Will!” She kicked him in the shin with her black combat boot and, despite the pain, Will wanted to kiss her so bad he had to bite the inside of his cheek.

“Awww, come on, Heather,” he said, seething out a breath slowly. “You don’t mean it. You never mean it.”

That was the truth. Will and Heather had been going out for six months, and they’d “broken up” almost every week during that time.

They’d gotten together the night of Heather’s 17th birthday party. Will was only there because Alicia, one of Heather’s friends, had invited Johnny - she had a raging crush on him that had been brewing ever since she’d randomly spotted him playing “I Want You To Want Me” on his guitar outside the 7-Eleven. And since Johnny didn’t go anywhere without Will and Tunny, the three of them had trekked to the other side of town - a more middle class neighborhood where the residents of the street eyed the trio in Tunny’s broken-down Honda with its bumper and driver’s mirror held on by duct tape - Will in the backseat squished between his hockey gear, Tunny’s track bag, and Johnny’s guitar. 

The party was different than most of the ones Will, Johnny, and Tunny had been to (granted, that had only been a few low-key get-togethers and bonfires). The entire basement was taken over with streamers and balloons, and loud music echoed off the wood paneling walls, which were mostly covered with reflective paper that reminded Will of aluminum foil. There was a big punch bowl into which other boys were openly pouring alcohol, no fear of getting in trouble as the adults had sequestered themselves upstairs. There were piles of presents stacked on a long table against the stairs, the trio suddenly self-conscious about their $10 candle that Tunny had picked up at Dollar General.

All of the kids went to the rival high school. Will didn’t know any of them and planned to spend the night glued to Tunny’s and Johnny’s sides. He didn’t like parties even when it was a group of their friends, much less a gathering of people who were wearing clothes more expensive than Will’s house. He swiped three glasses of the spiked punch in between his fingers and handed them to his friends. But only a few minutes later, Alicia appeared and pulled Johnny away, a mischievous look on her face. Johnny looked back at Will and Tunny before he disappeared around a corner and gave a thumbs up with his signature smirk.

One down, Will wanted to latch onto Tunny before anything else happened, before he was left alone standing awkwardly against the wall for the next three hours. He wanted to physically take Tunny’s arm and keep him, but then two of the guys who had the alcohol approached them, saying they recognized Tunny from the track team. (That wasn’t surprising. Tunny was one of their high school’s best runners - at least his father had taught him something useful, Tunny would say.) They asked if Tunny wanted to join a pick-up game out back, playing for cash - which Tunny could never resist. Tunny looked at Will, his eyebrows pinched together, his bright blue eyes asking Will’s permission without a word.

Every part of Will wanted to shake his head, make Tunny stay with him, which Tunny would without a second thought. But Will knew that was selfish, and he hated being selfish - it was one of his worst flaws. So he nodded quickly before he could change his mind; Tunny nudged him in the shoulder with a small smile and cocked his head toward the back, asking Will if he wanted to come, too.

Will did. He was shit at basketball, but he liked to try. And he liked playing with Tunny, who let him win sometimes. But Will knew these guys wouldn’t let him win - not with their expensive sneakers and competitive grins. Not that winning was the be-all-end-all, but Will didn’t feel like embarrassing himself anymore in front of these people than he had to.

He narrowed his eyes and let his mouth settle into a straight line, and Tunny understood at once. He playfully hit Will’s head, digging his fingers into Will’s hair for a split-second before heading off, the other guys shrugging their shoulders at Tunny’s and Will’s mute conversation.

Then Will was alone, exactly what he’d been afraid of. He slunk harder against the wall, as if he could just push himself through it and disappear into the paneling. He downed his punch and wanted more - it was some kind of fake fruit juice but the copious amount of rum in it made up for the sweetness - but there was a group of girls around the table now. They all looked the same to Will: dark hair in curls, too much lipstick, heels that they were unsteady in. Not that there was anything wrong with how they looked - they just weren’t his type. Will went to avert his eyes, but then his gaze caught on the girl absently stirring the punch while the rest talked.

She was a vision, a refreshing break in everything about her.

Her long blonde hair was straightened and half tucked into a ponytail, half hanging out. She was all pale skin except the shimmery silver eyeshadow encircling her eyes. Her ears were pierced at least three times, and Will spotted a small stud in her nose as well. From her tight flannel shirt torn at the bottom to her combat boots that gave her at least two inches of height, Will was mesmerized. He was in love.

It was exactly like those cheesy romantic comedies Will’s older sisters had made him watch. And nothing like that. He felt instantly hot and cold, his face on fire and his fingers numb. But instead of feeling that irrevocable draw like the heroes in the movies did toward the objects of their affection, for him it was repulsion like two same ends of magnets. Will imagined a forcefield around her, growing wider and stronger by the second, pushing him away.

He edged further away, his back still against the wall, keeping him upright. But he couldn’t stop looking at her. She appeared to be bored, staring into the punch like it was more interesting than what her friends were saying. Which was probably true given Will’s impression of them.

Will wished for Johnny’s confidence at that moment; Johnny would go right up to her and probably say something stupid or vaguely crude, but somehow it would come out sweet and she’d be enamored. Or Will wished for Tunny’s quick mind, Tunny who could insult people in six different languages just for fun but also quote books from memory when he needed to be charming. Will didn’t have either skill - instead, his main strength was possessing an overabundance of emotions that he usually couldn’t express.

Will felt his heart beating so fast and so strong it was like it was pounding against his spine, shaking him from the inside out. He wanted to talk to her - he wanted to do more than talk to her - but he was glued to the spot, unsure of how to function without Johnny or Tunny beside him.

Then without warning, the girl looked up from the punch bowl and locked eyes with him. It was three seconds of euphoric bliss, Will’s breath caught in his throat, sound deafened, lights faded, before he realized he was staring and she was staring - and he had to look away. Trying to play off that his shoes were more interesting than the girl’s electric eyes was the best acting Will had ever done in his life.

His sneakers remained his focus - memorizing the specks of dirt caking the front of his left one and the pattern of the loose lace on his right - until a pair of heels infiltrated his view.

“Wanna play truth or dare with us?” a distinctly female voice asked.

Will knew by the shoes it wasn’t the girl, but he wanted it to be her so bad that he closed his eyes for a second before raising his head. When he looked up, it was in fact one of the dark-haired clones.

“So do you?” she asked again. “We need at least one more guy to make it fun.”

She gestured to the group of people who had congregated on the floor in the living room area. It was mostly the indistinguishable girls and then three guys huddled close - Will felt a pang in his chest - and a couple already making out. But then there was his girl, sitting with her legs in front of her, her torn jeans glimpsing slits of pale skin. She was pointedly not looking at Will while almost all of her friends were.

Will nodded without thinking and let the girl take him by the arm and lead him to the group, who spread out a little, allowing the girl to sit and pull Will down next to her and the couple making out.

Will hated truth or dare; he couldn’t win it. He hated dares because they always backfired on him. Johnny once dared him to do a handstand on his mom’s treadmill while it was going, and the subsequent hole in the wall that occurred when Will lost his balance and shot backward had gotten him grounded for a month. But he couldn’t win with truth either. Tunny once asked him whether he’d rather live with Johnny or Tunny if he had to, and when Will answered “Johnny,” Tunny had left the house and didn’t speak to him for almost a full day. (No matter that the reasoning was as simple as Will wouldn’t be able to stand watching the tension and constant threat of violence that Tunny lived under.)

But there he was, sitting in a circle with strangers in a strange house, his two best friends nowhere to be found. This wouldn’t end well, he knew.

The girl who had asked him to play sat up straighter and announced she would pose the first question.

“OK, Heather, as the birthday girl, you go first. Truth or dare?”

Will watched with his mouth slightly agape as everyone turned their attention to his girl - Heather - who was apparently the beneficiary of the party. Will would have never guessed, not with her bored expression and general disinterest in everything going on around her. If it was her party, shouldn’t she be having fun?

Heather sighed softly, blowing a strand of her hair out of her face, and replied: “Dare.”

“I dare you to kiss the cutest boy here.”

It was a dare meant to embarrass her, Will understood that immediately. The girl and likely all of her friends were trying to put Heather on the spot. Who knew why.

But Will barely had a chance to think about that before Heather was on her knees, scooting forward the few feet in the center of the circle, and leaning in to kiss Will hard on the lips. Without his usual hesitation, probably emboldened by Heather’s own determination, Will kissed back, raising his hands to bury them in her hair - ignoring the groans and giggles in the background.

The dare kiss turned into more kisses, so perfect Will thought he would explode, until the girl who’d asked kicked Heather in the leg and told them to take it somewhere private. Heather had dragged Will into the bathroom, and they’d stayed there until Tunny had come looking for them hours later, needing to get Will home before curfew.

That was how it began, the Will and Heather of it all. And it had been a roller coaster since then. Constant ups and downs, periods of exhilaration and frustration, the two of them perfectly in sync and disastrously out of tune.

Every time Will said something stupid - which was often - Heather would break up with him, stomping outside to sit in her car. But she always came back after she had cooled down for a few minutes. It was their cycle.

Tonight, Will honestly couldn’t remember what he’d said that had set Heather off. After waiting for a response or an apology (Will didn’t know which but he didn’t give either) and getting nothing but Will’s vacant stare, she left the room, slamming the door behind her. Will heard Tunny ask what had happened and heard Heather ignore him, followed by the crash of the front door closing.

This was the worst part for Will - Heather’s necessary cooling down period. Will always wanted to run after her, apologize and kiss her and tell her he’d learned his lesson. But after he did that the very first fight and she’d slapped him, Will understood she didn’t want to be chased. It wasn’t a game; it was her needing to be alone to calm her temper and realize Will’s stupidity was just part of his charm. At least that’s what Johnny said.

But this was different. Now it had been too long. Heather usually took five minutes max before she was back in the house, not totally forgiving Will but at least warmed back up to him. It was now hitting the 10-minute mark, and Will was afraid he’d really done it.

What if he’d finally hit the point of no return?

He gingerly ventured outside his room, immediately greeted with Johnny’s and Tunny’s questioning looks, their game controllers frozen in their hands. Will walked over to the window facing the front yard, hands behind his head, arriving just in time to watch Heather speed away in her small silver car.

She left. She’d really left.

“What the hell did you do?” Johnny asked quietly from behind.

Will groaned and slunk down against the wall beneath the window, drawing his knees up to his chest and burying his face in his lap.

“I think we broke up,” he muttered into his legs.

“That’s nothing new. You guys always break up,” Tunny said, his voice getting closer. Will felt him sit on the floor, Tunny’s foot against his.

“I think it’s for real this time.”

The words felt wrong in his mouth - he needed to spit away the foul taste of them.

“Like, for good? Done done? Finito?” Johnny’s voice was still further away, meaning he hadn’t gotten up from the couch.

Will wrenched his head up so quickly to scowl at Johnny that he hit it back against the wall. He groaned again.

Finally getting to his feet, Johnny walked over to stand above Will and Tunny on the floor. He looked at them and cocked his head to the side, as if trying to decide if he wanted to get to their level or not. Apparently deciding against it, he folded his arms across his chest and focused his gaze out the window. Where Heather’s car wasn’t waiting anymore. Maybe would never be again.

“Fuck it. You know what?” Johnny said, squinting his eyes into the darkness outside. He had that look on his face like he was planning something - Will had seen it dozens of times before, but there was no predicting what he was thinking.

“What?” Will and Tunny asked, almost in unison.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

Will should have been able to see that coming.

Johnny rolled up onto the balls of his feet, bouncing in place. “Come on, let’s do it. For real this time.”

Will looked at Johnny, trying to gauge his seriousness. Johnny was grinning that grin, but his earnestness couldn’t help but show through. He meant it. When Will looked back down at Tunny, he was harder to read - his mouth in that impenetrable straight line. But then he nodded slowly, curling into his hoodie and resting his chin against his chest.

Tunny wanted it. Johnny wanted it.

“Without Heather?” Will asked, rubbing at the side of his neck.

The idea of leaving without Heather seemed impossible, even now with her gone. Will knew they were young and the idea of being with your high school girlfriend forever was naive and stupid. But he felt it nevertheless. He _knew_ it. At least until tonight.

For as long as Will could remember, him, Johnny, and Tunny had been saying they were going to get out. And this was the first time Will felt like it could really happen - the first time they were all in agreement. There wasn’t anything stopping them.

“Yeah, man, we only need us,” Tunny said, getting to his feet and offering Will a hand up.

Will looked at Tunny’s outstretched hand and then back at Johnny, whose smile looked just a little desperate. Johnny wanted it. Tunny wanted it. Will wanted it. He wanted it.

Taking Tunny’s hand, Will stood up and pulled Tunny into a kind of half-hug they had mastered years ago. Johnny joined them, clapping them both on the backs and practically buzzing with excitement. It was happening. They were going to pack up their shit and pile into Tunny’s Honda and never look back. Will would leave a note for his parents and sisters, and Johnny would call his mom from the road; Tunny wouldn’t say a word to his father, free from him forever. It didn’t matter where they went as long as they were together.

As the trio turned around to prepare for their adventure, Will suddenly heard the squealing of tires. Without thinking, he leapt out of Johnny’s and Tunny’s grasp and ran to the window.

Her car was there again, parked in front of the house. Heather had come back.

Will tore open the front door without looking back and practically bounded down the cement steps to reach the curb, almost falling at least twice. Heather, meanwhile, got out of her car and ran around the back of it to meet Will. Their embrace on the street was definitely the corny stuff of romantic movies. Will didn’t want to let go; if he let go, she might leave again, and he never wanted to be without her.

“I’m still pissed at you,” she whispered in his ear while digging her fingers into his back.

“I know,” he replied automatically, nuzzling his nose against her cheek.

“No, really, Will.” Heather finally stepped back, untangling herself from Will, her hands back on her hips. “I need more time. I still want to punch you in the face pretty badly. I just wanted to come back so you knew that wasn’t the end, that we weren’t over.”

Will felt his stomach drop, wishing again that he could remember what he’d said that had upset her so much. He wished he could ask, but that would definitely just make everything 10 times worse. So he just nodded slowly, bowing his head to stare at the pavement under his feet.

When Heather’s combat boots came into view, Will felt her soft kiss on his cheek. “It’ll be OK tomorrow. I still love you, you giant idiot.”

She let her forehead rest against Will’s for a few seconds before pushing back and getting into her car. Will watched as she drove away, calmly this time at least. He sighed and looked back at the house where Johnny and Tunny were standing in the doorway.

Shit, he had forgotten about leaving. He couldn’t leave now. He couldn’t leave Heather.

Will walked up the steps slowly, trying to figure out how to tell his friends that they had to back out - again. When he reached them, Tunny simply mussed Will’s hair and Johnny punched him in the shoulder, both of them smiling. Sadly but understanding. The three of them entered the house in silence and all sat on the sofa, Johnny and Tunny immediately picking up their game controllers again while Will pointed at the screen to show them a shortcut through one of the levels.

Their ultimate adventure wouldn’t start tonight, but Will knew they would go someday. It was inevitable.

*

“You’re leaving? You’re leaving?! You’re leaving, you’re leaving home?” Will watched helplessly as his two best friends walked out of his house.

Johnny led the way, gripping his duffel bag in one hand and his guitar slung over his shoulder. He didn’t look back. Tunny, however, turned around for a split second before he was out of sight; he mouthed “sorry” and then the front door slammed shut behind them.

Will had always assumed they’d never leave without him.

**Author's Note:**

> \- I started this fic in January 2014 and have been working with it on and off for the entire year because I am ridiculous. I was determined to have it done before the end of 2014. And I made it with two hours to spare (Eastern Standard Time). Apologies if there's any outrageous typos or editing issues.  
> \- There's a mashup of headcanons in here, mine and ones I've stolen from my friends. Don't be mad, friends. I love you.


End file.
